LA schools consider banning defiance suspensions

John Deasy, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, left, speaks during a Capitol news conference in Sacramento, Calif. on April 24. The Los Angeles Unified School District board is scheduled to consider a ban Tuesday on suspensions of students who are willfully defiant.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Unified School District could become the nation's first to ban suspensions of students who are willfully defiant.

The school board on Tuesday is scheduled to consider the ban, which is supported by the school superintendent.

Currently, students can be suspended for refusing to remove a hat or cursing the teacher.

The Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/18EpJ5e ) says willful defiance suspensions accounted for nearly half of all California suspensions in the 2011-2012 school year. Black students were disproportionately affected.

Critics say it's a catch-all way of getting rid of underachievers that hurts the student but does nothing to solve behavior issues.

Supporters say defiant kids disrupt classes and reduce learning time. Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill last year that would have barred suspensions for defiance.